The Skinny Chick's Cookbook

  This was the recipe that first introduced me to the healthiest, all-natural sugar substitute that is now one of my go-to ingredients: dates! Years ago, I had a membership to a gym that had a vegan cafe attached to it, which was where I had my very first vegan banana date shake. I couldn’t BELIEVE how tasty it was! Like magic to my taste buds. After perfecting the recipe at home, I decided this is by far is my favorite smoothie ever because: A) It is ridiculously delicious. B) It’s healthy, dairy free, and vegan-friendly. (Score!) C) There’s no added sugar. D) It’s super easy. (Only 4 ingredients!) Peanut Butter Banana Date Shake Ingredients ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 2-3 large medjool dates 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter ½ banana 5-6 ice cubes Instructions Soak the dates in a pan lined with an inch or two of hot water for 2-3 minutes until soft. Remove pits from dates, then combine dates, almond milk, banana and peanut butter in a blender. Blend until smo...

  Believe it or not, this was my first time eating pomegranate seeds. When I first tried them, I didn’t like them by themselves, but I loved them combined with this pudding. This coconut chia pudding is  so delicious , especially topped with dark chocolate chunks, coconut shreds and pomegranate seeds. I made myself a little bowl to snack on for a healthy dessert, and assembled the rest into several little mason jars to bring to work for breakfast that week. I ate all the mason jars in one sitting. I’m not allowed to make this ahead of time anymore. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fantastic breakfast recipe if you’re meal prepping for the week. As long as you have enough willpower for it to remain in the fridge that long. But, if you’re like me… you may want to make it that morning instead.  I also used Trader Joe’s bottled coconut milk for this instead of full-fat canned coconut milk. It’s still dairy-free but contains less calories. Coconut Chia Pudding with Chocolate & P...

  I receive a lot of emails from readers requesting meal prep recipes that they can bring to work.  I find this loaded egg burrito recipe to be one of the best on-the-go breakfast solutions. They’re quick to make, easy to wrap, and you can make a large quantity if you’re meal prepping for the week. I love to add hot sauce and pico de gallo (Huevos Rancheros style), but of course, feel free to use ketchup or any other topping of choice. Loaded Egg Burritos Ingredients 1 whole wheat tortilla or gluten-free tortilla 2 eggs ¼ cup shredded potatoes or hash browns 1 tbsp white onion, diced 1 tbsp green bell pepper, diced 1 tbsp tomato, diced 2 tbsp part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese 1 tbsp spinach leaves, chopped 1 tsp olive oil, for grilling Sea salt and pepper, to taste Optional: pico de gallo or hot sauce, for topping Instructions Line a large skillet with 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add sea salt, onions, bell peppers and potatoes and cook until potatoes are gol...

  This is the best idea ever! A new and improved version of your old childhood favorite… except with protein and fiber packed lentils! I’ll admit, I struggle with dinner recipes. I love to snack, but when it comes to concocting healthy dinner recipes, I have to be  really  stoked about it. Pizza and tacos are just about the only dishes where I can muster up a lot of enthusiasm. Enter lentil sloppy Joes. I just made these for the first time today. I was so psyched to try them, they turned out great. And now I’m posting this recipe, because I couldn’t wait to share this little piece of genius with all of you, in hopes you’ll be just as stoked as me. If you’re unsure of where to purchase lentils, Trader Joe’s sells boxes of steamed lentils in the bagged vegetable section. Lentil Sloppy Joes Ingredients 1 cup cooked brown lentils ½ cup tomato sauce 2 tbsp green bell pepper, diced 2 tbsp yellow onion, diced 1 tbsp mustard 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp coconut palm sugar 1 tsp apple ...

  During my cooking experiments, I’ve found that the simplest recipes are often the hardest ones to perfect. The two recipes I had the hardest time with were berry muffins and chocolate chip cookies. I try to use minimal flour and minimal sugar in my recipes to create healthier versions, but I found that both recipes tended to lack the flavor and texture I was looking for. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me about a recipe for sweet potato peanut butter cookies, but because it was a Paleo recipe, it was made with peanut butter powder that she said left the cookies mushy in the middle. So I decided to play around it and added oats, protein powder, chocolate chips, maple syrup and a few spices, and… voila! Sweet potato chocolate chip protein cookies! They were so good, I ended up eating them 3 nights in a row. Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies Ingredients 1 small sweet potato 1 egg ¼ cup peanut butter ¼ cup old fashioned oats 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder 1 tsp vanill...

  Did you know that you can make healthy cookie dough with chickpeas? (AKA garbanzo beans?) It sounds crazy, I know, but trust me, if you want to eat big gobs of cookie dough by the spoonful without feeling guilty, try this recipe! Chickpeas, blended with peanut butter, sweetener and oats, and mixed with chocolate chips, tastes just like real cookie dough! (The all-natural, dairy-free version!) Not to mention, chickpeas are loaded with nutritional value. They’re packed with protein and fiber, low calorie, and contain less than a gram of sugar. I also like to roast them in the oven and season them with salt, cayenne pepper and curry powder for a tasty, crunchy snack. If the inner child in you still has the urge to eat a giant bowl of cookie dough, now you can! Healthy Cookie Dough Ingredients 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) ¼ cup creamy peanut butter ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp semi-sweet or dairy-free chocolate chips 3 tbsp oats ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp...

  I will never buy jam or jelly from a grocery store ever again. Neither will you after you make this delicious berry chia jam. There’s just something about all-natural, homemade jam that tastes so much better than store-bought jam. Fresh with the just right amount of sweetness. Not to mention, chia seeds are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and healthy fats. I used to think that you pureed fruit in a blender to make homemade jam. Turns out, you actually heat it in a saucepan until the berries liquify. I use strawberries and raspberries for this berry chia jam (because I love them both equally and couldn’t decide) but you can use just about any fruit of your choice – blueberries, blackberries, peaches… your choice! Homemade Berry Chia Jam Ingredients 3 cups strawberries, stems removed 2 cup raspberries ¼ cup chia seeds ¼ cup agave nectar (or sweetener of choice) Instructions Add fruit to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berr...

  This was not only the first time I’ve ever tasted baked cauliflower tacos, but also the first time I made my own tartar sauce. The tartar sauce is made with Greek yogurt, diced dill pickle, and a dash of sea salt, but you can also substitute the Greek yogurt for Vegenaise (dairy-free mayo) if you prefer. I just so happened to have  a big bag of corn flour (Masa Harina) in my kitchen,  so I mixed the corn flour with breadcrumbs and spices for the breading mixture. But you’re also welcome to use cornmeal if that’s easier to find. Baked Cauliflower Tacos Ingredients For tacos: 3 cups cauliflower florets 2 whole wheat tortillas tortillas ¼ cup light coconut milk 2 tbsp plain breadcrumbs 2 tbsp corn flour or cornmeal 2 tbsp shredded coconut 1 cup cabbage slaw mix, for topping Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and turmeric, to taste For tartar sauce: ¼ cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt 2 tbsp diced dill pickle Dash of sea salt Instructions Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice caulifl...

  For months, I’ve been trying to perfect a coconut curry recipe, but I always felt like something was missing. Tofu is a great meat substitute, but for this recipe, I was looking for something else. Then one night, it hit me. Chickpeas! Chickpea curry! That’s what I was looking for! For this chickpea curry, I added sliced pineapples, as I  love  pineapples in my curry. If you’ve never tried it, give it a whirl. You may find yourself a new favorite ingredient! Generally, I use quinoa instead of rice because it contains more protein and fiber, but I find that rice has a richer texture that goes perfectly with creamy curry sauce. With the added fiber and protein from chickpeas, this chickpea curry is a perfect vegan, gluten-free, healthy dinner! Chickpea Curry with Rice Ingredients 1 cup cooked brown rice ¾ cup light coconut milk 1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed ¼ cup tomato, diced ¼ cup white onion, diced ½ cup pineapple, chopped 1 tbsp curry ...

  I’m always on the hunt for new healthy snack ideas, especially ones that contain minimal ingredients and no added sugar. Behold: homemade fruit roll-ups! With only 1 ingredient required: fruit! Which means these are not only super easy to make, but they have no added sugar, and are 100% all-natural! Now if you’d like to add a bit of sweetness, you’re welcome to add a tablespoon of honey or agave when you blend the fruit. I made these with strawberries and mangoes so far, both of which were definitely sweet enough on their own. But if you make it with raspberries or any fruit that is a bit more tart, I’d suggest sweetening it to your liking. The only downside is that these will be in the oven for at least 3 hours, so it’s a bit time consuming to make. I’d make as many as you can in one batch to stock up. Another thing to note is that you’ll be baking these on a plastic-lined sheet, but don’t worry about the plastic melting. The oven will be at a low temp of 170 so the plastic...

  This Raspberry Lime Rickey cocktail recipe got a photo makeover this weekend! I made a batch of these for a friend’s bachelorette party on Saturday and they were the perfect poolside drink.  Raspberry Lime Rickeys are one of my favorite cocktails because they’re only about 120 calories and 6g of sugar per drink. Soda water is calorie-free, so the only calories come primarily from the vodka, and the sugar comes from a small teaspoon of agave nectar. (You’re welcome to add more agave if you’d like it a little sweeter.) I try to consume mostly cocktails that contain large amounts of soda water to cut down on calories and carbs, especially since mixers and fruit juices are loaded with sugar. (And be sure not to confuse soda water with tonic water – tonic contains about 100 calories per serving!) Raspberry Lime Rickey Cocktail Ingredients 10 raspberries 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice 1 shot raspberry flavored vodka (1.5 oz or 3 tbsp) 1 tbsp agave nectar 1 cup soda wat...

If you’re anything like me, then you’ve had those nights when you’ve snacked a little too much in front of the TV… and those mornings when you wake up to find a little pouch has replaced your formerly flat stomach. (Confession: I love to snack at night. Which -I know- is the worst time to snack, because all those calories don’t burn themselves up when I’m sleeping. Which is why sharing my little detox beverage recipe with you.) This flat belly detox water includes 4 major ingredients to help with digestion, detoxification and water weight reduction: Unfiltered apple cider:  Boosts immunity by cleansing the digestive tract and other bacteria-infested areas in the body. Reduces bloating and water weight. Ginger:  Stimulates digestion by helping the body release enzymes that break down food so that nutrients are easily absorbed.  Lemon:  Stimulates the natural enzymes in the liver, which is the body’s primary detoxing organ. (If you drink this frequently, you may w...